Nestle India said it was exploring various options in the snacking space, which may include bringing back the product in its original form.NEW DELHI: A day after gaining respite from the Bombay High Court on Maggi noodles, Nestle India said it was exploring various options in the snacking space, which may include bringing back the product in its original form.

"We are looking at all options, including Maggi noodles in the current avatar," a Nestle India spokesperson said. "Considering we have access to Nestle’s strong capabilities in R&D and food technology, we are also evaluating other innovation and renovation options."

He declined to provide details of what changes were expected in Maggi, the country’s most popular instant noodle brand before it was banned on June 5 by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) for containing excessive lead.

ET has learnt that Nestle's research labs are working on a series of alternate instant packaged snacks.

The Bombay High Court set aside the ban and directed Nestle on Thursday to undertake fresh tests for Maggi in six weeks. The samples for fresh tests will be taken from the 750 cartons Nestle has preserved after discussions with the FSSAI. The company will be allowed to resume sales depending on the test results.

Nestle has said it will comply with requirements of fresh tests "at the earliest."

"We respect the verdict of the Hon-’ble Bombay High Court… and will comply with the order to undertake fresh tests," the spokesperson said.

Maggi noodles had sales of more than Rs 2,000 crore and accounted for a third of Nestle's India business.

Analysts said the snacking segment was critical to Nestle’s financial health, being a core competence and having strong backend expertise. Nestle posted a loss in the April-June period, its first in more than three decades, of Rs 64.4 crore, compared with a net profit of Rs 287.9 crore in the year-ago quarter.

"It will take a few quarters to bring back the faith of the consumer to Maggi," said Abneesh Roy, associate director at financial services firm Edelweiss Securities.

Food is the largest category within consumer goods, with an estimated annual sales of Rs 1.4 lakh crore. After biscuits, it is the second largest segment within packaged snacks such as noodles, pasta and chips.

In the past month, seven countries including the US, UK, Canada, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand have declared that Maggi noodles imported from India was safe for consumption.

The recall of Maggi, among the biggest in the history of packaged foods in India, has cost the companyRs 320 crore.

Production at its five plants — Moga in Punjab, Pantnagar in Uttarakhand, Nanjangud in Karnataka, Bicholin in Goa and Tahliwal in Himachal Pradesh — remains suspended.